


hitchhiker's guide to the shrike invasion

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: Hauntober 2020 [10]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode: s06e13 New Life, Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, Hauntober, M/M, Zombies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26940517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: In which Deke uses the jump drive and ends up with a stowaway.
Relationships: Trevor Khan/Deke Shaw
Series: Hauntober 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948561
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	hitchhiker's guide to the shrike invasion

**Author's Note:**

> for Hauntober day 10: "forest"

_ "What do I have to do to get a little respect around here?" _

_ "Deke, wait-!" _

He'd felt the tug to his sleeve in the moments before the jump drive activated, and the weight of a whole extra person affecting the targeting system landed him on the opposite side of the room from where he wanted to be, and the day just got worse from there.

-

They hadn't gotten any better at controlling the jump over the short span of time they had to practice.

Deke stumbled when the dirt appeared under them but managed to stay upright, trembling with something close to relief that they managed to get as far as they did. There had been some doubt, when he pushed the button, that they'd even make it out of the temple itself, and he was quick to grab the walkie talkie from his other shoulder. "We did it! We're in the... forest? Thing? Is this a forest or a jungle?"

Meanwhile, Trevor was on the ground, trying to catch his breath while he squeezed his eyes shut. His landing, so to speak, had been less steady, and it was easier to just sit and get his bearings than to try to actively be a part of the conversation. If he tried to interrupt just then, he'd probably get yelled at, and he wasn't entirely sure he wouldn't deserve it.

_ "It looks like the quinjet is closer than Z1. We can guide you there if-" _

There was the loud sound of footsteps coming from behind them, something that was almost like running and stomping, and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to stick around to find out what it was. Scrambling to shed the jump drive and get moving, they didn't manage to even speak into the walkie talkie again until they had turned around a corner. "We're not safe! Not alone!"

_ "To get to the quinjet, run west."  _ Fitz's voice came through the walkie quickly, calm while conveying the seriousness of the situation.  _ "It's not too far from you, and it's safer than being out in the open." _

"What's  _ west?" _

Trevor moved quickly, grabbing the sleeve of Deke's jacket to tug him in the right direction and moving his hand to the other man's back to push him forward - the habit of putting himself between his friend and danger hadn't faded in the weeks since they'd been at the Lighthouse. "Toward the sun.  _ Move." _

-

Dropping down onto the floor of the plane, Deke immediately looked around to make sure the space really was safe and empty before stepping out from under the opening above his head so that his accidental companion could drop in behind him. He stepped toward the front of the quinjet to look out the windows while he held up the walkie again, trying to get any sign of life or advice. “Bobo? Come in, Bobo?”

Trevor moved around to check a few things before stepping over to the cockpit and sliding into a seat, his shoulders setting into an unconsciously professional position. "As soon as I know exactly where we are, I can fly us back to the Lighthouse and help you clean up all of the tech and people you brought in."

There was a scoff from behind him, the other man on the small plane glancing over at him with a frown - some combination of fear and anxiety and anger that he couldn't keep contained. "I'm pretty sure that's the least of our worries, right now. Maybe we should be focusing on the  _ literal alien invasion, _ Agent Kahn." He scowled before turning his attention back to the walkie in his hand. "Can anyone hear me? Hello?"

Shaking the walkie as if that could make it cooperate, he turned around again and watched while Trevor flipped a switch. When the throttle was pulled back...

Nothing happened.

"Shit."

"I know I'm still learning about what words mean, right now, but I've never heard that one used positively."

Trevor moved quickly, getting to his feet with a small scowl of his own and taking a deep breath. "Something's up with the quinjet. The most direct way to all of the components is outside, and it would be the easiest to see what's going on from out there."

"But," Deke cut in, stepping toward him with a pointed shake of his head. "We could be surrounded by zombies at any moment. If you go out there, unarmed, you'll  _ die." _

"Deke, I'm not trained to fix this kind of thing." There was a lingering moment of tense silence between them, and then: "But I would never let you go out there alone. And if neither of us is armed... we're either going to have to hope it's something that can be fixed from in here, or wait around for extract."

Opening his mouth to respond, he flinched and looked toward the front of the plane again when something hit the glass. That  _ something _ was one of the very zombies they were running from in the first place, but he also had something in his hand, and the immediate fear quickly faded into something else. "That's the electro hydrostatic actuator."

"Is it... important?"

"It's what's keeping us from getting in the air, so I'd say so." Deke was nodding while he moved, looking around the small space to get the feel of the dimensions before kneeling down and pulling up a panel from the floor. "I know this is probably old news to you, but there's a reason the game was so accurate was because I stole a little bit more than old tech." He was already working, reconnecting wires in a different arrangement to fix the problem at hand. "Go back to the pilot's seat. You were always way better at flying in the game, anyway, and we need to be ready to go as soon as I'm done with this."

He glanced up in time to see the lingering hesitation in Trevor's eyes before he moved, going through what steps he could so they were ready for take off. "Just be careful. I think that leads outside, if you go deep enough."

Scoffing, Deke stopped working to look over at him, his frown more in annoyance and frustration than the fear it held, before. "And you suddenly care if I'm in danger? I thought I was just a mission to you. When did that change?"

"Are we really going to do this  _ right now?"  _ The SHIELD agent in the cockpit turned around enough in his seat to look back at him with a frown, taking a deep breath. "I'm pretty sure we can talk about this once our lives aren't in immediate danger."

There was a quiet moment while he focused on the wires again, only speaking up again when a hand shot up past them and grabbed his wrist. "Trevor, go,  _ now!" _ He tried to tug his arm free, the grip only tightening around him until he took a deep breath and bit down  _ hard _ on the fingers that had been all but holding him in place. Slamming the panel closed again, he pushed himself to his feet to scramble to the cockpit, the co-pilot's seat the furthest away from his near doom in the small space.

Neither of them spoke until they were safely in the air, the danger far enough below that Deke's trembling slowed and all but stopped while he watched the trees pass by under them. "I think... we're probably better off waiting to talk about anything until we know the zombie apocalypse is over."

**(** _ the flight was longer than either of them were really prepared for, and eventually, the not entirely uneasy silence between them had to break. _

_ "How did you get the zombie to let go of you, anyway?" _

_ "I bit him before he could bite me." _

_ "God, you would not survive a horror movie."  _ **)**


End file.
